Uncontrolled electrical activity caused by ion channel dysfunction produces arrhythmia in the heart. Despite recent advances in pharmaceutical research and development, effective and safe pharmacological management of cardiac arrhythmia still remains an unmet medical need. The emerging family of two-pore-domain potassium (K2P) channels stabilizes the resting membrane potential and facilitates action potential repolarization. In the heart, genetic inactivation or inhibition of two-pore-domain K + (K2P) currents by class III antiarrhythmic drugs results in action potential prolongation. In particular, human K2P3.1 channels are selectively expressed in the atria and represent targets for the pharmacological management of atrial fibrillation. Furthermore, stretch-sensitive K2P2.1 channels are implicated in mechanoelectrical feedback and arrhythmogenesis. The current knowledge on function, regulation, and cardiac significance of K2P channels is summarized in this work, and potential therapeutic implications are highlighted.
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.